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1
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2 Cardcaptor Nadeshiko
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3 Fly Me Away
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4 by Amazoness Duo
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5 and G.P.
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6 amazonessduo@hotmail.com
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7 pearsong1954@yahoo.com
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8
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9 All is still. The world is frozen for an eternity, time standing still. Girls lined up
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10 together all kneel forward precariously. Even the wind does not interrupt the moment, leaving
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11 behind an anxious moment of calm. Thoughts are abandoned as the girls all wait silently, as if
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12 awaiting the judgement of the world. A single moment stretches to infinity. In an all too brief
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13 moment, time snaps back into place.
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14 “Go!”
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15 Like glass shattering, the silence is over. The girls all bolt from their positions,
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16 the sudden movement almost a blur. Silent statues transform into swift eagles, darting across
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17 the track. Like graceful cats, they move fluidly toward their goal. It is closer than any want
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18 to think about, but feels like it may as well be half a world away. The thunderous stampede of
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19 girls moves inexorably forward, no force in heaven or hell able to stop them.
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20 At the front of the pack, an auburn haired girl pushes herself. Further, faster.
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21 Conscious thought escaped her. Or, rather, she refused to let it impede her movement. All that
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22 waited for her was the finishing line. Like a beautiful angel, it beckoned to her, calling her
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23 and her alone. She would be the one to reach it. She would be the one to claim it for her own.
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24 So she pushed herself further and faster, leaving the other girls behind. Her feet barely
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25 seemed to touch the ground as she ran, sending her hurtling forward to her eventual goal. The
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26 goal awaited her, calling out her name as she drew nearer. She could hear the other girls behind
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27 her, waiting to pass her. With all of her energy, all of the passion in her soul, she ran
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28 forward to the embrace of the finish line.
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29 Looking down at her stopwatch, the coach whistled. “Great time, Amamiya-san. You’re
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30 getting better. You girls better continue practicing if you’re going to keep up with her.”
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31 The girl in question jogged over to a bench, picking up a towel. Her breathing came
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32 quickly, her heart racing in her chest. It was always such a lovely feeling. A small smile
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33 crossed her lips as she heard her time. Her practice was paying off. Little by little, it was
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34 helping. Sonomi had always been a natural at most athletic events, but track was her favorite.
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35 It was simple, straightforward. It didn’t matter who you were or what your background was. Boy
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36 or girl, age or race, it didn’t matter. On the track, it didn’t matter that she was rich or that
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37 her family was important. The only thing that mattered was running. The fastest person won.
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38 Whoever got to the finish line first was the winner. And Sonomi was almost always the first to
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39 the finish line. On the track, she could leave everything behind. All she had to do was run. It
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40 wasn’t confusing like the rest of life. Like things with Nadeshiko. Shaking her head, Sonomi
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41 turned to see her younger cousin nearly bursting with enthusiasm. Sonomi smiled as Nadeshiko
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42 hurried over to her. That was another thing that the young heiress liked about track. Her cousin
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43 was always there to cheer her on.
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44 “Sonomi-chan! You ran so fast! I could barely see you!” Nadeshiko said excitedly. The
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45 wind, as if it were finished holding it’s breath while awaiting the girls to run, began to play
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46 with her long, dark hair. Nadeshiko smiled brightly at her cousin, her pale skin almost
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47 glistening under the sunlight.
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48 Sonomi felt her heart swell at Nadeshiko’s ringing endorsement. She was always happy to
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49 have her cousin watching. The gray haired girl was always so confident in her. It made her feel
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50 like she could accomplish anything with Nadeshiko by her side. It was always nice to have her
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51 own personal cheerleader. “Arigato, Nadeshiko-chan!” Smiling gratefully, she took the cup of
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52 water from Nadeshiko’s outstretched hands. The water slid graciously past her lips, revitalizing
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53 her exhausted insides. The cold water helped her to forget about the burning sun overhead.
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54 “I bet you’re even faster than Terrada-san. He’s the fastest on the boys’ team. But
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55 you’re like a blur, Sonomi-chan. You’re just like the wind.” Nadeshiko brushed her hair back
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56 absentmindedly, the wind sending it fluttering behind her. She smiled sweetly, glad to see her
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57 cousin. Everything in life was fascinating to Nadeshiko. And why shouldn’t it be? After all,
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58 wasn’t life itself such a fascinating thing to begin with, the simple act of being such an
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59 amazing fact? Sitting and watching things for hours, watching them partake of life’s endless
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60 dream, it was something she could never tire of. And of all these things, watching her cousin
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61 run was one of the most fascinating that she could think of at the moment. Seeing Sonomi zip
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62 across a stretch of ground, moving so eagerly towards her destination, it was always so
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63 wonderful to watch. Nadeshiko loved the way Sonomi always looked so intent, so dedicated to
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64 reach her goal. Watching her move, watching her face, watching the whole thing was just a
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65 wonder. But then, so much of life was.
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66 “Do you really think so? I heard he was really fast. I’d like to race him some time,”
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67 Sonomi said thoughtfully, heading back into the locker room. She had to change out of her gym
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68 uniform and back into her school uniform before going home. She was feeling rather good about
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69 things. She had a wonderful best friend, she was the up and coming star of the track team, and
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70 her grandfather was visiting. Yes, things were going well. She smiled happily to herself as she
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71 pulled her school uniform out of her bag. Pulling her shirt over her head, she turned around to
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72 see Nadeshiko still standing there, smiling. Sonomi nearly stumbled backwards over her bag.
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73 Apparently, Nadeshiko had followed her back into the locker room, even though only the track
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74 team was supposed to be there for the moment. “Nadeshiko-chan!” Sonomi found her heart beating
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75 faster, her mind fuzzy. She tried to clear it as she began to pull her school uniform on. It
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76 shouldn’t matter if Nadeshiko were there anyway. The dark haired girl didn’t often listen to
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77 rules or other such nonsense. And Sonomi had practically grown up with her, so it wasn’t like
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78 she should worry about dressing in front of her. But still...
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79 Meanwhile, Nadeshiko busied herself with looking through Sonomi’s locker. Her innocent
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80 curiosity sent her from one object to the next, all the while waiting for her older cousin to
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81 walk her home as she always did. Like a big sister, Sonomi had always looked out for her.
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82 Nadeshiko didn’t always understand why Sonomi was always so overprotective, but she was grateful
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83 for it. She thought it was sweet of Sonomi to want to protect her all the time. Even if she did
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84 worry too much. Sonomi was always so silly.
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85 “Are you ready, Nadeshiko-chan?” Sonomi asked after a moment when she thought she had
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86 her composure back. The strange trill that Nadeshiko always sent through her heart both thrilled
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87 and captivated her. It left her rolling about on powerful waves that shook her heart. And it had
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88 grown stronger lately, nearly taking her breath away at times. It was one of those confusing
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89 things that made running even more enjoyable. She didn’t have to worry about weird feelings she
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90 couldn’t understand. The dark haired girl was her best friend and that had been her explanation
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91 for the strange feelings at first, but now she wasn’t so sure. It was just so overpowering. She
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92 almost felt dizzy when she was with Nadeshiko, her heart aching sweetly. And it was driving
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93 Sonomi crazy. A flash in her eyes sent her reeling back to reality. Blinking a few times, Sonomi
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94 finally caught sight of Nadeshiko holding her camera, the one she had received as a birthday
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95 present.
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96 Giggling, Nadeshiko held out the camera to its owner. “Take my picture, Sonomi-chan!
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97 You’ve been getting better with your camera. I want to have my picture taken by the future world
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98 prize winning photographer, Amamiya Sonomi-chan!” She giggled again as she posed for her cousin.
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99 Sonomi giggled herself, holding the camera by its strap. “There’s no one I’d rather take
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100 pictures of than you, Nadeshiko-chan. But let’s wait till we get home. I don’t want okaa-san to
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101 worry about us being late.” Picking up her bag, the auburn haired girl turned to lead the way.
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102 She was startled a second later when she felt something soft grab her hand. Her face darkened
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103 slightly as she saw Nadeshiko holding her hand, smiling sweetly as always. Sonomi tried to
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104 return the smile, but found her heart beating mysteriously again. Nadeshiko’s hand felt so soft
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105 against her own, her gentle fingers moving ever so slightly against her own. The young heiress
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106 tried to shake off the strange feeling, but it refused to leave her. Hand in hand, the young
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107 Amamiya girls made their way home.
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108
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109 “Girls!”
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110 “Grandpa!”
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111 The two girls were swept up into a warm hug by their grandfather shortly after stepping
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112 through the front door of Sonomi’s house. The hug lasted for a long moment before the elder man
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113 took a step back, smiling at his lovely granddaughters. “You’re both growing up into such pretty
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114 young ladies.”
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115 Nadishiko curtsied with a flourish, smiling brightly. “Thank you, grandpa!”
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116 “Arigato, grandpa!” Sonomi replied, smiling herself. Though they had visited their
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117 grandfather recently, he had come up himself to stay for a bit. Sonomi was always happy to see
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118 him. He was always so nice and fun. He didn’t have the same demanding authority that her parents
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119 had. She loved them dearly, but there were certain things they expected of her that her
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120 grandfather didn’t. He was a kind, gentle soul. His visits were always something Sonomi looked
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121 forward to.
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122 “I was waiting for the two of you to get home. I have something for you.” Going back to
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123 the guest room he was using, he returned with two beautiful dresses. “Now which one was for
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124 which of you?” A smile crossed his face as he saw his granddaughters’ faces light up. The older
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125 man cherished his granddaughters, and enjoyed pampering them when he got the chance to.
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126 “Wai! They’re beautiful!” Nadeshiko smiled brightly at the two dresses her grandfather
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127 held. She always loved to dress up, no matter what the occasion. It was so much fun to try on
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128 all sorts of different things, to wear something beautiful. And her grandfather was more than
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129 happy to indulge her on that wish, always ready to supply another wonderful dress for her to
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130 wear.
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131 “Grandpa! It’s gorgeous!” Sonomi stated, holding onto the hem of one of the dresses. It
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132 was beautifully adorned with ribbons and bows. The other dress was no less adorable, a white
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133 dress with plenty of frills and lace. “Can we try them on?” she asked hopefully. Seeing the
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134 older man nod, she smiled happily and took the two dresses. “Come on, Nadeshiko-chan. I’ll go
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135 take your picture in both of these.”
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136 Laughing, the older man smiled at his granddaughters’ exuberance. “Just make sure you
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137 both come down to dinner in them. I want to see how they look on my pretty granddaughters.”
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138
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139 “Hai, grandpa!”
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140
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141 Sonomi watched her younger cousin through the lens of the camera, following every little
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142 movement as she lined up her shot. Nadeshiko’s emerald green eyes sparkled. There was no one
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143 Sonomi would rather take pictures of. Nadeshiko was the perfect model for her. The other girl
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144 was so pretty and she always posed gracefully. One would never be able to guess at how accident
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145 prone the gray haired girl was if they had only seen pictures of her.
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146 Sonomi was currently wearing the ribbon and bow clad dress, Nadeshiko wearing the other.
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147 They had taken several pictures of Nadeshiko in the other dress and now they had switched,
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148 allowing Sonomi to get several more pictures. Nadeshiko was currently lying on her stomach, her
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149 chin in her hands and her bare feet slowly kicking in the air. She was smiling happily at the
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150 camera. Sonomi could feel a faint blush color her cheeks as Nadeshiko gazed directly at her. Her
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151 finger pushed the button, the shutter closing with a click and a whir. And so another image of
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152 her beloved cousin was frozen forever on film. It was such an amazing thing, the camera. Some
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153 people said it was magical, that it had the power to trap ones soul. And Sonomi could see why.
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154 It certainly had its own magic. It allowed you to capture a single moment of time forever, to
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155 hold onto it for as long as you wished. And yes, it even allowed you to capture pieces of
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156 someone’s soul. No, not the whole thing, of course. But fragments. Bit and pieces. The shards
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157 lying around. Each picture held a little bit of Nadeshiko in it, which was why each picture was
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158 so precious to Sonomi. She was extremely careful with each picture she took, wanting it to be
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159 perfect. Another click and whir sounded as she took another picture.
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160 Nadeshiko watched Sonomi as the other girl moved around to get a better shot. She loved
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161 posing for her cousin. It was so much fun to be able to dress up for Sonomi, to have her take
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162 her picture with that camera. She loved getting in position for the pictures, trying to look
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163 pretty for each consecutive shot. It was always so lovely to be the focus of Sonomi’s attention,
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164 to see her trying so hard to take the perfect picture. And every picture that Nadeshiko had seen
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165 Sonomi take always turned out beautifully. She loved flipping through the scrapbook that her
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166 older cousin was keeping, seeing all of her pictures lined up neatly. The fact that all of the
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167 pictures were of herself didn’t seem surprising at all. Sonomi always paid attention to her, so
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168 it just seemed natural. It was something she always liked. She smiled prettily for the camera,
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169 her long dark hair framing her face, nearly obscuring her hands. Sitting up on her knees, she
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170 tilted her head to the side as Sonomi got ready for another shot.
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171 Taking another picture of her lovely cousin, Sonomi stepped around to the other side of
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172 the bed. It was wonderful being able to do this with Nadeshiko. It was their time alone
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173 together. She could take endless amounts of pictures of her photogenic cousin. And she was more
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174 than happy to. Sonomi was trying harder and harder to get better at taking pictures. If
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175 Nadeshiko was her subject, then they had to be perfect. The other girl was perfect, and so the
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176 pictures of her should be as well. Nadeshiko was the only thing Sonomi really liked to take
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177 pictures of. Maybe it was just that Nadeshiko made such an excellent model. Or maybe... Sonomi
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178 shook her head, unsure of where that thought would lead. She tried to shake off the confusion as
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179 she clicked another picture. “You’re so cute in that!” Sonomi said, her mind shifting to something much easier for her to grasp: her cousin’s irresistible cuteness. All of Sonomi’s room was filled with cute things, from toys to dolls to stuffed animals. And the cutest thing of all was, of course, Nadeshiko herself. The other girl was so innocent and sweet and cute. It was just perfect. Smiling, Sonomi took another picture. “I wish I had enough film to do this forever.”
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180 “Me too, Sonomi-chan,” Nadeshiko replied, smiling into the camera. “You’re so good at
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181 taking pictures.” A knock at the door drew her attention, long dark hair fluttering about her.
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182 “It’s time for dinner, girls. Hurry and wash up,” Sonomi’s mother said.
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183 “Hai!” Slipping off the bed, Nadeshiko hurried for the door, eager to show her
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184 grandfather the dress he had bought her.
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185 Sonomi pulled up the camera after a moment, letting Nadeshiko fill the lens. Taking another quick picture, she caught Nadeshiko’s beautiful image in film once again. A soft,
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186 dreamy sigh escaped her. If only she could do that forever. Nadeshiko was always at the
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187 forefront of her mind. It would be so nice to spend forever taking her beautiful picture.
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188 Setting down her camera, Sonomi quickly followed, a bright smile on her lips.
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189
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190 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
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191
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192 “So you don’t think I can beat you?” Sonomi asked in irritation, her hands on her hips.
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193 She stared the reddish haired boy down as she waited for an answer.
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194 “I just think that your cousin shouldn’t go around saying you’re faster than me. I’m
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195 sure you’re good. But you’re still a girl,” the boy replied, crossing his arms.
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196 Sonomi’s eyebrow twitched at his words. “If Nadeshiko-chan said I can beat you, then I
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197 can. Are you calling her a liar?”
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198 “No, no,” the boy said quickly. He sighed inwardly. He had wanted to confront her about
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199 the rumors that she was faster than him. He didn’t want to start a fight over Sonomi’s cousin.
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200 Everyone knew how touchy she could be when Nadeshiko was involved. “It’s just that I’m the
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201 fastest one at the school. And everyone keeps saying that you are. That’s stupid.”
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202 “Fine. If you want to race, then let’s race, Terrada-san,” Sonomi challenged, tossing
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203 her hair out of her eyes with a quick toss of her head. She wasn’t one to back down from things.
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204 And she was frustrated that this boy would come to her to argue about who was faster. “If you
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205 want to prove who’s faster, then let’s see.” And to say that he was faster because he was a boy
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206 at that! That was one of her favorite things about racing, that it only mattered who was the
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207 fastest, not who they were. She did think that it was a little embarrassing that Nadeshiko had
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208 been telling everyone at school that she was the fastest one, but she was happy to have her
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209 younger cousin’s confidence.
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210 The boy nodded in agreement. “All right. Let’s do it. First one to the finish line is
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211 the fastest at the school.” He wanted to clear this up once and for all. At first it had just
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212 been Nadeshiko talking about how fast Sonomi was, but now other girls were beginning to as well
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213 and even some of the boys. If he didn’t put an end to this fast, everyone really would think she
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214 was the fastest.
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215 The two stretched as they waited. Several other students had gathered by the time they
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216 had gotten ready. Sonomi was still in her school uniform, but there wasn’t anything she could do
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217 to fix that. She would just have to make do. She and Terrada slowly took their places, waiting
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218 for the signal to send them dashing towards the finish line.
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219 “You can do it, Sonomi-chan! No one can beat you!” Nadeshiko called out energetically.
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rlm@2
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220 She didn’t see what all the fuss was about. She was proud of her cousin. Sonomi really was a
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rlm@2
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221 great runner. Nadeshiko had watched her all the time. So she wanted people to know how great
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222 she was. It struck her as odd that someone would get mad about that. But she didn’t let it
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rlm@2
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223 bother her. It didn’t matter. And it gave Sonomi another chance to run.
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rlm@2
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224 “What’s going on?” a voice asked.
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rlm@2
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225 Turning to answer the voice, Nadeshiko smiled pleasantly at the teacher’s assistant,
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rlm@2
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226 Kinomoto Fujitaka. “Kinomoto-sensei! Sonomi-chan and Terrada-san are about to race. Did you come
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rlm@2
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227 to watch?” she asked cheerfully.
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rlm@2
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228 Smiling at the younger girl, Fujitaka nodded. “Yes, I guess I did. I just didn’t know
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rlm@2
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229 what it was about. Thank you, Nadeshiko-chan.” Lured by the crowd of students, Fujitaka had been
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rlm@2
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230 curious as to what was going on. He had been glad to find the dark haired girl there to explain
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rlm@2
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231 things to him. She was rapidly becoming his favorite student. It was funny how things worked. It
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rlm@2
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232 was almost like Fate that he had hit her with a ball in the park not so long ago. He could tell
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rlm@2
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233 she was different from the other girls her age. She was almost other worldly, always lost in her
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rlm@2
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234 own thoughts and in the world around her, never seeming concerned about anything. It was so
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rlm@2
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235 refreshing with how worried all the other girls were about life’s trivialities.
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rlm@2
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236 Sonomi, meanwhile, was preparing for her race. She waited motionless, her mind set
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rlm@2
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237 directly on the task before her. She let out a deep breath. “Go!” a black haired girl called.
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rlm@2
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238 And with that, Sonomi launched herself forward. Run! It raced through her mind in the same way
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rlm@2
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239 that she raced across the track, the single thought becoming all encompassing. She could hear
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rlm@2
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240 Terrada running beside her, could feel the wind sweeping across her body and the ground for a
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rlm@2
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241 split second at a time. Her mind focussed on the finish line, everything else blurring,
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rlm@2
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242 disappearing from her vision. There was only the goal. Even her rival began to fade away, her
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rlm@2
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243 concentration remaining steadfast. Just a little further... This was her chance to prove
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rlm@2
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244 herself, to show that Nadeshiko was right about her. Her strong legs propelled her forward,
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rlm@2
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245 the mingled voices of the students nothing more than a whisper to her as she finally reached
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rlm@2
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246 the designated finish line. It took her a moment to realize she had crossed it. Already stopped,
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rlm@2
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247 she had to clear her head, to let the rest of reality back in.
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rlm@2
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248 “Amamiya-san! That was unbelievable!” one of the girls said in amazement.
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rlm@2
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249 “We told you she was the best, Terrada-san!” another girl said.
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rlm@2
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250 “I can’t believe that a girl beat you,” one of Terrada’s friends said, shaking his head.
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rlm@2
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251 Sonomi smiled to herself, brushing back her disheveled auburn hair. She had proven
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rlm@2
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252 Nadeshiko right. She had proven herself right. It didn’t matter who you were with track. It only
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rlm@2
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253 mattered who the fastest was. She slowly caught her breath, glancing around for Nadeshiko. Her
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rlm@2
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254 eyes were well trained to the task, quickly scanning for the gray haired girl. But this time she
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rlm@2
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255 couldn’t find her amongst the gathered crowd of students. Her elation at her victory quickly
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rlm@2
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256 disappeared as panic began to grow inside of her. She didn’t like being away from Nadeshiko for
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rlm@2
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257 too long. Nadeshiko always managed to get hurt if she wasn’t there to protect her. Ignoring the
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rlm@2
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258 praise from some fellow students, Sonomi hurried off in search of her cousin.
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rlm@2
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259
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rlm@2
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260 “Thank you for your help, Nadeshiko-chan,” Fujitaka said gratefully, smiling as he
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rlm@2
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261 pushed up his glasses. “It would have taken me much longer to get all of those papers back to
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rlm@2
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262 the teacher’s lounge on my own.”
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rlm@2
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263 “You’re welcome, Kinomoto-sensei,” Nadeshiko replied, smiling in return. When he had
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rlm@2
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264 asked if she wanted to help move some papers back to the teacher’s lounge, she had been happy to
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rlm@2
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265 help. She had a boundless curiosity and she had never seen the teacher’s lounge before, so it
|
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rlm@2
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266 had sounded like a great idea. She already knew that Sonomi would win, anyway. So she didn’t
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rlm@2
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267 need to wait and see the results. The teacher’s lounge, once a mysterious and far off place, was
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rlm@2
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268 now added to her mental map of the school. Having seen it didn’t take away any of the wonder,
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rlm@2
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269 though. Nadeshiko always managed to find wonder hidden in anything.
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rlm@2
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270 Sonomi stood in the doorway for a long moment, unsure of what to say. She felt hurt,
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rlm@2
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271 angry, jealous. But she didn’t know what to say about any of it. Her victory felt cheap,
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rlm@2
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272 pointless, with Nadeshiko leaving to go help the assistant teacher. Nadeshiko was always there
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rlm@2
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273 to cheer her on, to share the victory with her when it was all over. But the assistant teacher
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rlm@2
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274 had lured her off to help with some trivial task. Sonomi had been running because of what
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rlm@2
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275 Nadeshiko had said about her being the fastest. It didn’t feel right to have won without
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rlm@2
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276 Nadeshiko waiting for her at the end. And here that assistant teacher was, not caring at all
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rlm@2
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277 about such things, smiling as if all was right with the world. And why shouldn’t he? He had
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rlm@2
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278 Nadeshiko with him, so of course he was smiling. Who wouldn’t smile in Nadeshiko’s presence?
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rlm@2
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279 Yeah, that was it. He had taken Nadeshiko away at her moment of victory. He was why she wasn’t
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rlm@2
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280 there to share it with her. Balling up her fists, Sonomi stormed into the room. “Nadeshiko-chan,
|
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rlm@2
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281 there you are! I’ve been looking all over for you. I was starting to get so worried. You know
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rlm@2
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282 you shouldn’t wander off like that.”
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rlm@2
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283 “Hi, Sonomi-chan!” Nadeshiko replied, waving to her older cousin. She hurried over to
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rlm@2
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284 Sonomi’s side, glad to see the auburn haired girl. Sonomi always managed to find her, though
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rlm@2
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285 she did always look worried when she did. This time she looked a little different, though. Not
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rlm@2
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286 exactly worried. Something else. Nadeshiko watched her curiously.
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rlm@2
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287 “Oh, she’s fine, Sonomi-chan. She’s been with me the whole time,” Fujitaka said
|
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rlm@2
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288 helpfully, smiling all the while. “Oh, how did your little race go, by the way?” he asked
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rlm@2
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289 curiously, pushing his glasses up.
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rlm@2
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290 “My little race went just fine, thank you. Come on, Nadeshiko-chan.” Turning her
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rlm@2
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291 attention back to Nadeshiko, Sonomi took the other girl’s hand, leading her out of the large
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rlm@2
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292 classroom. She just wanted to get away from the teacher. She was still frustrated about the
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rlm@2
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293 whole thing, but all she could do was to take her dearest Nadeshiko away from him. She shot him
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rlm@2
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294 a gaze with her stormy blue eyes as she headed for the door, Nadeshiko in tow. Nadeshiko
|
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rlm@2
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295 followed as she always did, waving to Fujitaka before they disappeared out the door.
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rlm@2
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296
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rlm@2
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297 Sonomi lay in bed, her blanket up around her head, her school uniform laying on the
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rlm@2
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298 floor. She was usually much better about keeping things in order, but she just didn’t care. Her
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rlm@2
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299 grandpa has asked her if she wanted to play some tennis with him, but she had declined. She
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rlm@2
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300 loved to play things like that with her grandfather, but she just didn’t feel up to it at the
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rlm@2
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301 moment. She was still feeling burnt out from her race with Terrada. It just felt so shallow
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rlm@2
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302 knowing Nadeshiko hadn’t been there for it. It wasn’t that she couldn’t race without Nadeshiko,
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rlm@2
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303 but this was for the other girl as well as for herself. Knowing that Nadeshiko had been lured
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rlm@2
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304 away made it all feel so pointless to have ran against him at all. Who cared what the other
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rlm@2
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305 students thought of her? It was what Nadeshiko thought of her that was important.
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rlm@2
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306 Rolling on her side, Sonomi sighed sadly. She still felt jealous that Nadeshiko had been
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rlm@2
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307 with her teacher instead of with her. She was angry at him for taking Nadeshiko away while she
|
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rlm@2
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308 was racing. Nadeshiko was supposed to be there, watching her, cheering for her. How dare he take
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rlm@2
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309 her away? But what could she do about it? He was her teacher. That feeling of powerlessness sent
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rlm@2
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310 Sonomi’s heart tumbling again. She hated feeling powerless, useless. She hated feeling trapped.
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rlm@2
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311 It was one of the most painful feelings she could think of. She needed to be able to handle
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rlm@2
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312 things, to be free.
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rlm@2
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313 Her mother’s words cam ringing back to her, ones from back near her birthday. ‘Oh,
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rlm@2
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314 Sonomi-chan, you’re growing up so fast! Pretty soon, you’ll be a beautiful young lady. All the
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rlm@2
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315 handsome boys will start falling for you. Someday you’ll get a wonderful husband and a darling
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rlm@2
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316 family.’ Sonomi had merely smiled and humored her mother at the time. Truth be told, she didn’t
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rlm@2
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317 really care much about the idea of a husband or boys starting to fall for her. It didn’t sound
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rlm@2
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318 like something that she would want. She never much liked boys to begin with. She was much more
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rlm@2
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319 interested with the idea of having a family. One went with the other, though. She had no doubt
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rlm@2
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320 that eventually she’d wed and have a child. It was how things worked. But she didn’t much care
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rlm@2
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321 to think about it too much. But now that she thought about it again, it made perfect sense in
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rlm@2
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322 context with her beloved Nadeshiko. Nadeshiko was already very pretty. She would only grow more
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rlm@2
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323 beautiful as time went by. Though she was a little odd, boys were already becoming interested in
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rlm@2
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324 her. In time, they would surely start falling for her en masse. Sonomi shook her head at the
|
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rlm@2
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325 horrifying vision of manbeasts stalking her dear Nadeshiko. If it was anything like what was
|
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rlm@2
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326 going on with the assistant teacher, Sonomi could already tell it would be a living nightmare.
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rlm@2
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327 ‘I’ll protect you from those insects, Nadeshiko-chan. I won’t let them take you away. They don’t
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rlm@2
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328 deserve you. I’ll keep them away from you,’ Sonomi vowed.
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rlm@2
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329 A knock at her window shocked the auburn haired girl out of her thoughts. Getting out
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rlm@2
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330 from under her blanket, Sonomi crept to the window, squinting to try and see out into the
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rlm@2
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331 darkness. Her room was on the second floor, so how could anyone be at her window? Picking up a
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rlm@2
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332 porcelain dolphin by her nightstand just in case, Sonomi peered out her window. What could
|
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rlm@2
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333 possibly be making the light rapping on her window? It took her a moment to recognize the shape.
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rlm@2
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334 “Nadeshiko-chan?!” The auburn haired girl immediately opened the window for her younger cousin.
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rlm@2
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335 “What are you doing here? How did you get all the way up here, Nadeshiko-chan?” Without waiting
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rlm@2
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336 for the dark haired girl’s answer, Sonomi pulled Nadeshiko inside, holding onto the other girl
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rlm@2
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337 tightly.
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rlm@2
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338 Resting against Sonomi, Nadeshiko pulled up a foot behind her, motioning to her foot,
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rlm@2
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339 wings on either side of it. “I used the Jump Card. It was really helpful. You’d be surprised how
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rlm@2
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340 high you can jump with them, Sonomi-chan. It’s a lot of fun. You should try it some time.”
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rlm@2
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341 Sonomi held Nadeshiko’s foot, her fingers brushing along her ankle where the wings were
|
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rlm@2
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342 located. “That’s really cute. So that’s what that little stuffed animal guy we caught does?” She
|
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rlm@2
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343 would have said something about it not being safe for Nadeshiko to come to her window like that,
|
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rlm@2
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344 but she was too happy to see her to argue. And the wings on her feet really were cute. Sonomi
|
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rlm@2
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345 brushed the wings a bit, still holding Nadeshiko’s small foot in her hand. She didn’t want to
|
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rlm@2
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346 let go. Thankfully, Nadeshiko didn’t seem to mind, her toes wiggling as Sonomi continued to
|
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rlm@2
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347 hold her ankle and the wings.
|
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rlm@2
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348 “Yeah. I was surprised. But I guess it makes sense with her name being Jump and all.” A
|
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rlm@2
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349 thump at the window caught Nadeshiko’s attention. “Oh yeah! Teddy-chan came, too. I got so
|
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rlm@2
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350 excited about jumping around to your house that I must have forgotten about her. Could you open
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rlm@2
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351 the window?”
|
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rlm@2
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352 Reluctantly letting go of Nadeshiko’s foot, Sonomi headed to the window. She paused for
|
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rlm@2
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353 a moment, considering. That little stuffed animal was always getting Nadeshiko in trouble. Did
|
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rlm@2
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354 she really want to let it in? Sighing, she slid the window open. If it would appease Nadeshiko,
|
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rlm@2
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355 then she could deal with it.
|
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rlm@2
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356 “About time you opened the window. I was freezing out there!” The little yellow Seal
|
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rlm@2
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357 Beast shuddered to make a point, his expressive face in a frown.
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rlm@2
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358 Sonomi stared at the Seal Beast for a long moment before looking back to Nadeshiko. The
|
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rlm@2
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359 dark haired girl simply smiled brightly. Sonomi turned back to the floating teddy bear. The Seal
|
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rlm@2
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360 Beast was wearing a small lavender dress, obviously from one of Nadeshiko’s other doll. He had
|
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rlm@2
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361 two little green bows tied on his ears.
|
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rlm@2
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362 “Isn’t she cute?” Nadeshiko asked, clasping her hands together. She had summarily
|
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rlm@2
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363 decided that Cereberus was a girl shortly after having discovered him. And it only seemed
|
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rlm@2
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364 fitting that she dress up her newest stuffed animal friend in something pretty.
|
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rlm@2
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365 “Err.. Of course she is, Nadeshiko-chan! She’s very cute,” Sonomi said quickly, smiling
|
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rlm@2
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366 reassuringly. Her cousin certainly had good taste. The little dress was cute. And it almost made
|
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rlm@2
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367 the Seal Beast look friendly. Now if only Nadeshiko could fix the things attitude, then it would
|
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rlm@2
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368 be perfect. But as far as the Seal Beast was concerned, the feeling was mutual. He didn’t seem
|
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rlm@2
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369 particularly fond of Sonomi either.”
|
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rlm@2
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370 “I’m not a girl,” Teddy-chan said unenthusiastically, his stubby arms crossed. Though he
|
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rlm@2
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371 found himself to be the pinnacle of manliness, the current Cardcaptor didn’t seem to agree. All
|
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rlm@2
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372 of his arguments had been politely ignored as Nadeshiko had gone about dressing him as prettily
|
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rlm@2
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373 as she could.
|
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rlm@2
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374 “Of course you are,” Sonomi said, looking him in the eyes. “And Nadeshiko-chan thinks
|
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rlm@2
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375 you’re a very pretty girl. You should be happy.” Putting a hand on her chin, Sonomi watched him
|
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rlm@2
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376 thoughtfully. “And though I hate to admit it, she’s right. You do look cute in that. She did a
|
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rlm@2
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377 great job.” The auburn haired girl felt herself nearly get knocked over as Nadeshiko hugged her
|
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rlm@2
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378 tightly from behind. A warm blush spread across her cheeks as she felt Nadeshiko hold onto her.
|
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rlm@2
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379 “Arigato, Sonomi-chan! I’m so glad you agree! Teddy-chan didn’t seem so sure,” Nadeshiko
|
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rlm@2
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380 said happily. She was glad to get Sonomi’s opinion of her makeover of Teddy. She had spent a lot
|
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rlm@2
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381 of time making the Seal Beast pretty and she was happy to have Sonomi on her side. It was much
|
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rlm@2
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382 better that Teddy have a cute wardrobe than to just fly around without any clothes all day, she
|
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rlm@2
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383 had told him. He had agreed at first, saying he would like to wear something ‘cool’. He had
|
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rlm@2
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384 changed his mind upon seeing the wardrobe she had found for him. At least Sonomi thought it was
|
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rlm@2
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385 a good idea.
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rlm@2
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386 Teddy grumbled to himself, holding his yellow head in his paws. “Can we please get down
|
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rlm@2
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387 to business? We need to stop a Clow Card. It’s out there right now and it doesn’t seem very
|
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rlm@2
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388 happy.” Why was he stuck in the middle of all of this? He was the Seal Beast. He shouldn’t be
|
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rlm@2
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389 sporting lipstick or hair bows. He sighed miserably and tried to make the best of it. The least
|
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rlm@2
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390 they could do is catch the Clow Cards before they caused too much damage. But between the
|
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rlm@2
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391 Cardcaptor’s bizarre behavior and her hot tempered cousin, this was getting to be a difficult
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rlm@2
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392 job.
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rlm@2
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393 “A Clow Card? Again?” Sonomi wasn’t very thrilled with where this was going. She didn’t
|
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rlm@2
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394 like the idea of Nadeshiko have to run around and catch these things. What would she do if
|
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rlm@2
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395 anything happened to her? But that was exactly why she had to go. She couldn’t stop Nadeshiko
|
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rlm@2
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396 from going anymore than her parents could make her go to bed on time. Nadeshiko would go with or
|
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rlm@2
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397 without her consent. So all she could do was go with and try to protect Nadeshiko as best she
|
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rlm@2
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398 could.
|
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rlm@2
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399 “Mmhmm..” Nadeshiko said, nodding. “That’s why we came. I thought you’d want to come,
|
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rlm@2
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400 too, Sonomi-chan. It’s more fun when you’re there. At least, I think it is. I’ve never gone
|
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rlm@2
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401 without you. Except for when I got the book.” Nadeshiko looked thoughtful for a moment before
|
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rlm@2
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402 nodding. “And I want you to come.” She smiled sweetly at her cousin, holding her staff in front
|
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rlm@2
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403 of her.
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rlm@2
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404 Sighing, Sonomi went to grab her jacket. “All right. But lets hurry. It’s getting late.
|
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rlm@2
|
405 I just want to get this thing over with.” Pulling her jacket on, she looked over at Nadeshiko
|
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rlm@2
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406 worriedly. Stepping forward, she took Nadeshiko’s hands in her own. “Please, Nadeshiko-chan,
|
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rlm@2
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407 always come get me before you go do these things. I want to help you with them. I want to keep
|
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rlm@2
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408 you safe.” Her stormy blue eyes pleaded with Nadeshiko’s emerald gems.
|
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rlm@2
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409 “All right, Sonomi-chan,” Nadeshiko agreed, smiling.
|
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rlm@2
|
410 Sighing, this time with a slight feeling of relief, Sonomi nodded. “Okay. Let’s go.”
|
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rlm@2
|
411
|
|
rlm@2
|
412 “So.. Where is it?” Sonomi asked, hugging her jacket close to herself. A cold night
|
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rlm@2
|
413 breeze blew across the two girls and the Seal Beast. Sonomi was only wearing her nightgown and a
|
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rlm@2
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414 jacket. She hoped it wouldn’t rain. She’d have to take Nadeshiko home if it did, Card or not.
|
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rlm@2
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415 She wasn’t going to have the other girl getting sick because of this.
|
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rlm@2
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416 Nadeshiko looked around, holding her staff in front of her. She couldn’t see anything,
|
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rlm@2
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417 but every once in a while she would feel strange feelings drawing her one way or another. Teddy
|
|
rlm@2
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418 had told her that it was sensing magic in the Cards, but it was so difficult to do! It was like
|
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rlm@2
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419 trying to decide what direction ‘happy’ was in. Shaking her head, she turned to Sonomi, offering
|
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rlm@2
|
420 a small smile. “It has to be around here somewhere. Maybe it’s shy,” she suggested, glancing
|
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rlm@2
|
421 around once more. “Ms. Clow Card! Could you please come out? We’d really like to meet you! We
|
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rlm@2
|
422 want to be your friend!”
|
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rlm@2
|
423 As if in response to Nadeshiko’s call, a large object swept out of the treetops, soaring
|
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rlm@2
|
424 through the air towards them. Leaves scattered in every which direction, the wind buffeting the
|
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rlm@2
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425 street below.
|
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rlm@2
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426 “There she is!” Nadeshiko smiled, waving to the Clow Card as it hurtled towards them. It
|
|
rlm@2
|
427 grew larger and larger as it continued to close in on them. This wasn’t so hard after all. It
|
|
rlm@2
|
428 was coming right to her. Suddenly, the ground disappeared from beneath her feet and she went
|
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rlm@2
|
429 flying to the side. It took her a moment to realize that Sonomi had knocked her out of the way.
|
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rlm@2
|
430 She got up shakily, using her staff to support herself. “She doesn’t seem very happy to see
|
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rlm@2
|
431 us.”
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rlm@2
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432 Sonomi crouched near Nadeshiko, watching the Card soar up into the sky again, searching
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rlm@2
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433 for them. Her heart pounded in her chest as she watched it circling above, like a giant bird of
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rlm@2
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434 prey. “Why is it attacking us? What’s wrong with that thing?”
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rlm@2
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435 “It’s the Fly Card. It doesn’t have the most docile disposition. I think it’s a little
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rlm@2
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436 angry about being stuck in the book for so long,” Teddy explained, floating next to the two
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rlm@2
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437 girls.
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rlm@2
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438 “But Nadeshiko-chan didn’t do that to the Card! It’s not her fault! The Card should
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rlm@2
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439 thank her for setting it free,” Sonomi replied angrily.
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rlm@2
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440 “Well, that’s how it works,” Teddy replied with a shrug. “And she’s the new Cardcaptor,
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rlm@2
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441 so it probably isn’t happy about being stuck in the book again.”
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rlm@2
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442 “I’ll take her out of the book a lot if that’s what she wants,” Nadeshiko offered
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rlm@2
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443 hopefully. “She doesn’t have to stay in it if she doesn’t want to. Can we tell her that?” She
|
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rlm@2
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444 had no want to subjugate the Cards. She simply wanted to be their friend, to meet them all.
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rlm@2
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445 “I don’t think it’s in a listening mood right now, Nadeshiko-chan,” Sonomi stated,
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rlm@2
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446 watching the Fly Card descend towards them. Grabbing the other girl’s pale hand, she ran as fast
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rlm@2
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447 as she could. Should might be able to get away on her own, but Nadeshiko slowed her
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rlm@2
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448 considerably. But she couldn’t leave Nadeshiko alone against that thing. Her eyes darted for any
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rlm@2
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449 place they could escape to, anything that would let them get away from the magical creature
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rlm@2
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450 hunting for them. She yanked Nadeshiko around a tree at the last moment, the wind nearly
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rlm@2
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451 knocking them both off of their feet as it darted past the side of the tree, lifting into the
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rlm@2
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452 air again. Her heart pounded in her chest, shaking her whole body. Never before had Nadeshiko
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rlm@2
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453 actually been in danger with the Cards. This was wrong. Nadeshiko shouldn’t be out here past her
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rlm@2
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454 bedtime with a giant hawk thing trying to tear her apart. And yet Nadeshiko was expected to bind
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rlm@2
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455 the beast, to change it back into a Card. She was just a little girl! Sonomi had some choice
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rlm@2
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456 words for whoever decided to place this burden on her beloved Nadeshiko. Her mind raced for
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rlm@2
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457 options. Whatever she was going to do, she had to do it quickly. The longer they were out in the
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rlm@2
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458 open, the greater the chance they would get hurt. Her eyes finally settled on a building, still
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rlm@2
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459 under construction. “Nadeshiko-chan, run!” she yelled before bolting to the building. An angry
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rlm@2
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460 squawk thundered above them before the Fly dove towards them. It flew ever nearer, the wind
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rlm@2
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461 nearly tearing Sonomi’s hand from Nadeshiko’s. She held on tightly, finally pulling her through
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rlm@2
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462 the opening as the large bird creature passed just above the ground.
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rlm@2
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463 Nadeshiko leant against the wall, catching her breath. She wasn’t nearly as athletic as
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rlm@2
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464 her cousin and all the physical exertion was exhausting her. She slid down the wall, breathing
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rlm@2
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465 quickly. “We have to talk to her. She needs to know that we don’t want to hurt her.”
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rlm@2
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466 “I’m more worried about what she wants to do to us,” Teddy answered, floating beside the
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rlm@2
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467 Cardcaptor. “We need to find some way to capture it. But I don’t think you have the right Cards
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rlm@2
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468 yet. Flower isn’t strong enough, Jump just isn’t the type of Card to bind her, and even if Wood
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rlm@2
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469 is strong enough, she doesn’t have that kind of range.”
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rlm@2
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470 The angry squawking grew louder as the Fly continued its search for the Cardcaptor and
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rlm@2
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471 her friends. Something large toppled over outside as the wind beat down around it.
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rlm@2
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472 Sonomi looked at the large back opening to the building. They hadn’t finished enough of
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rlm@2
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473 it. It was large enough for the bird creature to get through if it found it. They would have to
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rlm@2
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474 find another hiding place. But how long could they keep hiding? This thing was out there
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rlm@2
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475 somewhere. They needed to catch it. But she couldn’t let it hurt Nadeshiko. She couldn’t let her
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rlm@2
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476 go out there, even armed with her magic, to do battle with the Card. She could never allow that.
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rlm@2
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477 It could tear apart her beautiful little cousin. No, she had promised she would protect
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rlm@2
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478 Nadeshiko. And she would, no matter what. Her decision made, Sonomi walked over to the door.
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rlm@2
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479 “Nadeshiko-chan. I’m going to get the Card to chase me in here through the back. When you hear
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rlm@2
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480 us coming, get the Wood Card ready. You can trap it when we come in here. It won’t have the room
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rlm@2
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481 to get away.” She swallowed as she held onto the doorframe. She would have to use every ounce of
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rlm@2
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482 speed she had ever shown in track. This wasn’t just a game. Taking a deep breath, Sonomi
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rlm@2
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483 prepared herself. This was still the same thing. It only mattered that she was fast enough.
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rlm@2
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484 “Sonomi-chan? No, you can’t go out there. It might hurt you,” Nadeshiko hurried over to
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rlm@2
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485 Sonomi’s side, shaking her head. “We have to talk to it first. Otherwise it might still be
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rlm@2
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486 angry.”
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rlm@2
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487 Sonomi smiled at her cousin, squeezing Nadeshiko’s hand. “You said I’m the fastest,
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rlm@2
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488 right? Then I can’t lose. It won’t be able to catch me. I can do it, Nadeshiko-chan. I know I
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rlm@2
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489 can. Because you believe in me. Please believe in me. If you do, I know I can do anything.”
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rlm@2
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490 Nadeshiko smiled slowly, nodding. “Hai. I believe in you, Sonomi-chan. I know you can!
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rlm@2
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491 You’re the fastest! You’re just like the wind, Sonomi-chan!” The dark haired girl gave Sonomi a
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rlm@2
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492 quick hug before stepping away.
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rlm@2
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493 Watching her cousin for a moment, Sonomi felt her determination swell. That was why she
|
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rlm@2
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494 was doing this. For Nadeshiko. Because she didn’t want Nadeshiko to get hurt. So she had to lure
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rlm@2
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495 the beast to her cousin. It was the only way to keep Nadeshiko out of harm’s way. Taking a deep
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rlm@2
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496 breath, Sonomi darted out of the doorway.
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rlm@2
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497 The squawking above grew into a frenzy as the Fly caught sight of a single girl running
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rlm@2
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498 below. It dove below trying to catch its prey as it hurried through the street. It would not be
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rlm@2
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499 captured again. It was free. And it would remain so.
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rlm@2
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500 Sonomi could hear the roar of the creature as it flew behind her, quickly catching up.
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rlm@2
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501 She threw her all into running, her mind staying constantly on the finish line. She had to reach
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rlm@2
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502 it. She had to make it back to Nadeshiko. If the thing caught her, it would only wait for
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rlm@2
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503 Nadeshiko to come out. She couldn’t let her cousin get hurt. Her heart ached painfully as she
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rlm@2
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504 ran, both from the thought of the creature right behind her and the exhaustion of her running.
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rlm@2
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505 It would be on her soon. She had to go faster. She was almost there. Almost.. She could feel the
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rlm@2
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506 wind whipping around her, threatening to send her sprawling to the floor. She knew that if she
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rlm@2
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507 fell down, she wouldn’t be getting back up. She finally caught sight of the opening. Her entire
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rlm@2
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508 body burned as she forced her muscles to move despite the pain. Just a little more.. She could
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rlm@2
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509 hear the Fly nearer and nearer, just behind her. The opening was right in front of her. Her
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rlm@2
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510 entire body wanted to collapse, but instead she ran even faster, her vision blurring around her
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rlm@2
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511 as her weary body threatened to give up.
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rlm@2
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512 And she was through. Teddy grabbed hold of Sonomi’s jacket and yanked her into the air
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rlm@2
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513 just as the Fly crashed through the opening.
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rlm@2
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514 “Wood! Bind the Fly and hold it still!” Nadeshiko called out, her voice echoing in the
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rlm@2
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515 confines of the unfinished building. A beautiful magical woman appeared out of the Wood Card,
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rlm@2
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516 large leafy branches reaching out to entangle the Fly Card. The large branches held it in place,
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rlm@2
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517 keeping it from flying away. But still, the Fly struggled, writhing about in its bonds, yanking
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rlm@2
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518 and shifting desperately to escape. It cried out again and again, trying to force its way free.
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rlm@2
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519 It wouldn’t be captured again. It couldn’t allow itself to be sealed away in the book. It only
|
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rlm@2
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520 wanted to be free. To soar free. It cried out, bashing about left and right in a mad attempt to
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rlm@2
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521 get away. Wood struggled to hold it, but it’s branches began to sway under the force, some
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rlm@2
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522 snapping painfully.
|
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rlm@2
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523 “No! Please don’t!” Nadeshiko called out, running through the maze of branches to the
|
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rlm@2
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524 struggling Clow Card. She couldn’t stand to see it hurting itself and Wood so badly. She could
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rlm@2
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525 already see Wood suffering from its sustained blows. The Fly’s wing was injured as well, the
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rlm@2
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526 beautiful creature hurting it in its vain struggle. “Please don’t,” Nadeshiko whispered, laying
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rlm@2
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527 a gentle hand on the Fly’s beak. “Don’t hurt yourself. Please. And please don’t hurt Wood. She’s
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rlm@2
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528 really sweet. She’s just trying to help you. We both want to help you.” Dismissing the Wood
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rlm@2
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529 Card, Nadeshiko stood before the Fly, her hand still on its beak. She looked at its frightened,
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rlm@2
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530 pained eyes. She smiled gently, looking into its eyes. “It will be okay. I promise.”
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rlm@2
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531 “Nadeshiko-chan!” Sonomi cried out, panic gripping her. She raced to her cousin’s side,
|
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rlm@2
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532 but Teddy blocked the way. “Get away from it!” She almost couldn’t bear to watch. Her mind
|
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rlm@2
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533 filled with horrible fates for her beautiful cousin, the large creature lashing out at her in
|
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rlm@2
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534 them. She would never forgive herself if anything happened to Nadeshiko. She couldn’t live with
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rlm@2
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535 herself if her younger cousin got hurt. She shoved Teddy aside, ready to run to Nadeshiko. But
|
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rlm@2
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536 she knew she wouldn’t be in time. She was too weak from running all the way there. There was no
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rlm@2
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537 way she could get Nadeshiko out of the way. Her heart hung in limbo as she watched and waited.
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rlm@2
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538 Slowly, gently, the Fly Card nuzzled Nadeshiko. It’s eyes calmed as it watched her. This
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rlm@2
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539 girl would enslave it. She was sincere. She was genuinely sorry for the Fly getting hurt. The
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rlm@2
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540 Fly simply stood there before her.
|
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rlm@2
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541 “Thank you very much,” Nadeshiko said happily. Holding its beak with both of her hands,
|
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rlm@2
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542 she gave it a kiss on the tip of it. “I’ll take good care of you. You can stay with all of your
|
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rlm@2
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543 friends, the other Cards. And Teddy-chan, too.” Holding up the staff, Nadeshiko brought it down
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rlm@2
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544 gently on the Fly Card. “Return to your true form! Clow Card!” In a swirl of magic, a small Card
|
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rlm@2
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545 appeared in the air before Nadeshiko. Hugging the card close, she smiled. “She just wanted a
|
|
rlm@2
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546 nice place to stay.”
|
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rlm@2
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547 Sonomi sighed, reaching Nadeshiko. “I hope we never have to do anything like that
|
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rlm@2
|
548 again.” Her whole body ached. She knew it was going to be sore the next day. And she had track
|
|
rlm@2
|
549 practice, too. But at least it was over with. This was their shared triumph. It was so much more
|
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rlm@2
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550 fulfilling to share it with Nadeshiko. She smiled as she watched her cousin standing there
|
|
rlm@2
|
551 cutely, wand in hand. It was nice to be there with her. Better than being home in bed alone.
|
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rlm@2
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552 Well, the whole Nadeshiko being in danger part notwithstanding.
|
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rlm@2
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553 “Well..” Teddy laughed nervously at Sonomi’s comment. There were other, more dangerous
|
|
rlm@2
|
554 Cards out there. But they didn’t need to know that at the moment.
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rlm@2
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555 “Fly!” Nadeshiko watched in amazement as wings grew on the back of her staff. “Sugoi!!
|
|
rlm@2
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556 Isn’t that great, Sonomi-chan?” The dark haired girl watched as the wings on her staff flapped
|
|
rlm@2
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557 slowly. She climbed on, deciding to test it out. Jumping had been fun earlier. Flying seemed
|
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rlm@2
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558 even more amazing. Pushing off with her feet, the staff lifted into the air. “Wai! Come on,
|
|
rlm@2
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559 Sonomi-chan! This really is fun!”
|
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rlm@2
|
560 “Nadeshiko-chan! Wait!” Sonomi called, her concern returning. She did not like the idea
|
|
rlm@2
|
561 of Nadeshiko flying on that thing. It didn’t look safe at all. She hurried behind as Nadeshiko
|
|
rlm@2
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562 began lifting into the air. She hopped on the back just as it began to ascend. The two girls
|
|
rlm@2
|
563 rose into the air, riding on a staff up into the heavens. Sonomi held onto the staff tightly
|
|
rlm@2
|
564 with her strong legs, her arms quickly going around Nadeshiko’s waist. Did Nadeshiko really
|
|
rlm@2
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565 need magic? Wasn’t she magical enough on her own? Or at the very least, couldn’t the Cards have
|
|
rlm@2
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566 some safer magic? She sighed as they lifted high above Tomoeda. The city sprawled out underneath
|
|
rlm@2
|
567 them, the gorgeous moon shining above. Her arms wrapped tighter around Nadeshiko’s stomach, her
|
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rlm@2
|
568 eyes closing slowly. She could smell the sweet scent of Nadeshiko’s soft hair as it fluttered
|
|
rlm@2
|
569 against her. She could feel Nadeshiko against her as they soared through the air. Together. She
|
|
rlm@2
|
570 sighed inwardly. This did make a rather cute scene. Blushing faintly, she rested her head
|
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rlm@2
|
571 against Nadeshiko’s back. Maybe this wasn’t so bad after all. No, this wasn’t bad at all.
|
|
rlm@2
|
572 “Isn’t it beautiful, Sonomi-chan?” Nadeshiko asked, watching the city below, the lights
|
|
rlm@2
|
573 playing like thousands of fireflies.
|
|
rlm@2
|
574 “Hai. Very beautiful, Nadeshiko-chan,” Sonomi replied, not opening her eyes. She knew.
|
|
rlm@2
|
575 It was beautiful. Because Nadeshiko was there. Sighing softly, she held onto the other girl. |
